Case Number 11354

SMOKIN' ACES (HD DVD / DVD COMBO)

The Charge

May the best hitman win.

Opening Statement

The stakes are high in this decidedly low-brow excursion into the flagging
mafia leadership that commands one last hit on a despised
protégé-turned-rat, opening the task to any hitman or hit squad
willing to rub out a snitch and deliver his heart in return for a handsome
bounty.

Facts of the Case

Sleazy Vegas illusionist Buddy 'Aces' Israel (Jeremy Piven, Entourage)
found his way into the good graces of the local wiseguys and ultimately joined
their ranks when he finally got his "wick" wet by orchestrating a
gun-laden bank heist. But his bravado gets the better of him and the wiseguys
have grown tired of Buddy's antics. Sensing this, Buddy cooks up a deal with the
FBI in which he'll rat out the mafia operatives in exchange for entry into the
witness protection program. Boss Primo Sperazza (Joseph Ruskin, The Scorpion
King) has set a $1 million bounty on Buddy's head and every ambitious hitman
enters the race to "smoke" Aces while FBI operatives (Ray Liotta and
Ryan Reynolds) also race to save Buddy so he can crush the wiseguys.

The Evidence

From the opening frames, Smokin' Aces brazenly declares that it is not
a film for all tastes. If you're looking for a smart crime thriller that weaves
an intricate web of temple-scratching developments and revelations, look
elsewhere. Don't misunderstand; the narrative from Writer/Director Joe Carnahan
(Narc) is ridiculously complex, but it dismisses the surgical delivery of
key details, choosing to use a sledge-hammer to administer plot twists and
turns. If you're looking for an absolutely nihilistic experience that takes no
prisoners and benefits from an endless supply of bullets and blood, this is your
film.

Naturally, Smokin' Aces was ripe for comparisons to Quentin
Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. It sports the unabashed
violent content and repugnant lineup of unrepentant thugs, but it also borrows
the sanguine style of Robert Rodriguez's Sin City as well. And while many
fans of the extreme crime sub-genre often see the disdain for films that
liberally borrow in this manner, Carnahan emulates the tone without wholly
ripping off those that have gone before him. His foray into the depths of human
hubris has a fresh taste, carried on the backs of so many characters you'll need
a credit sheet to know who's who. And just when you worry there are too many
characters to follow, Carnahan simply dispatches some without apology. In doing
so, he establishes a rule set where nobody's above being gunned down at a
moment's notice.

Most interesting is Carnahan's decision to rat-hole Buddy Israel in a swank
Lake Tahoe hotel suite, inhabiting the epicenter of the convergent free-lance
killers and ambiguous governmental interests. In a twisted way, I found this
race to the goal to be oddly reminiscent of 1963's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad
World. Recall that film's auto accident which results in a dying man
revealing that a fortune is hidden under a giant 'W' just as he expires. The
witnessing motorists, some honest, most not, race off in all directions to claim
the riches, aggressively thwarting one another as their paths inevitably cross.
Replace the hidden treasure with a $1 million bounty and replace the wacky
motorists with a rogue's gallery of criminal scumbags governmental cretins and
you have a completely unhinged interpretation of a classic that explored the
lengths some would go to in order to collect a fortune.

As harsh and unflinching as Smokin' Aces is, Carnahan prevents it
from becoming too dark and dissolute with a remarkably wicked vein of humor. As
stark as the film's violence can be -- and as unsettling as the characters'
remorseless dishing of the death card could come -- the manic humor reminds us
this is extreme storytelling, never aspiring to realism. Therefore it's a
satisfying adrenal charge for those who enjoy such thrills. Credit the stellar
cast -- Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Alicia Keys, and so many notable
others -- with properly mixing and presenting the ingredients that Carnahan has
assembled. From the get-go, it's obvious that all involved understood the tone
and temperament of the script and then proceeded to chew it up with ravenous
abandon.

Universal maintains its exclusive high definition support of the HD DVD
format with this red-only release. The 1080p / VC-1 encoded transfer looks
great, making the very most of the pristine source elements. Details are crisp
and contrast is sharp. Colors are amped up and practically bounce out of the
picture. Black levels are deep but, when accentuated by the striking contrast,
some shadow detail is lost. Overall, though, this is a great Tier-1 presentation
on the HD DVD format.

As for the audio, the onboard Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 Surround mix is active
and aggressive for the entire 109-minute running time. The soundstage is wide
and effects move around and across the channels with a convincing sense of
realism. The low-end channel is especially well worked here, each gunshot
sporting an exaggerated but enjoyable thump. Dialog is crisp and well balanced
among all the activity, making this a very competent and complimentary mix.

Extras here include the same complement of elements found in the Standard
Definition DVD. This includes two audio commentaries, both helmed by Carnahan
who is joined by Editor Robert Frazen on Track 1 and actors Christopher Holley,
Zach Cumer, and Common on Track 2. A trio of featurettes follow including The
Line-Up, a look at the key characters and the actors who portray them,
The Big Gun, a rather fluffy promo piece focused on Carnahan, and
Shoot 'Em Up: Stunts and Effects, a too-brief look at the technical
aspects of the physical elements referenced. Four deleted scenes and an
alternate ending follow, tailed by 10 minutes from an outtake reel.

Of most interest to HD DVD enthusiasts is the U-Control feature, exclusive
to the format, that provides the interactive element long touted for the
high-definition releases (yet rarely delivered, to date). Picture-in-picture
(PIP) content is very welcome here, giving viewers an opportunity to view the
film with a generous offering of overlay actor interviews and production content
that is definitely recommended viewing. An additional feature, "Assassin
Tracker," is less compelling in its pop-up presentation of fictional
character data but is still a sign of progress considering the applied use of
the HD-exclusive content.

Closing Statement

Remember, Smokin' Aces is not for all tastes, especially since it
delights in its own overt tastelessness. But, given the actors are fully signed
up for the task and Carnahan is clearly enjoying the delivery of this manic
motion picture, the film winds up being an unexpected winner that was largely
passed over during its short theatrical run. And, on HD DVD, the presentation
and exclusive features are compelling enough to make this a must-have for
high-definition libraries.